The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday reserved its order after hearing arguments on a petition seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Giribala Singh, mother-in-law of deceased actress and model Twisha Sharma. The court also directed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be formally added as a party to the proceedings.

Background of the Case

The petition challenges anticipatory bail granted by a trial court to Giribala Singh, who is an accused in the suspected dowry death of 33-year-old model-actor Twisha Sharma. The case has drawn significant legal attention, with both Twisha's family and the state administration separately challenging the bail order.

What the State Government Argued

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, strongly opposed the anticipatory bail before the bench. He argued, 'On the grounds on which Giribala Singh was granted bail, 90 per cent of people would get bail. What is the point of granting bail before the FIR? Even the case diary was not properly examined in the trial court.'

Mehta raised two principal objections: first, that the bail was granted before the FIR was formally on record; and second, that the trial court failed to adequately examine the case diary — which contains the investigating officer's notes, evidence, and witness statements.

CBI's Stand: Custody and Post-Mortem Concerns

The CBI advocate told the court that the agency is seeking judicial custody of the accused. The CBI flagged that allegations have surfaced that Giribala Singh's sister was present during the first post-mortem, raising serious doubts about procedural integrity and possible interference with the initial investigation. The agency argued it is necessary to establish whether collusion affected the post-mortem findings.

Defence Contests High Court Approach

Advocate Enosh George, representing Giribala Singh, objected to the CBI approaching the High Court directly. He argued, 'If they are seeking cancellation of bail based on conduct after the grant of bail, then they should have approached the trial court. Their direct move to the High Court takes away one of my remedies, under which I could have approached the High Court in appeal.' George maintained that Giribala Singh has cooperated with the probe and denied all allegations of dowry harassment or interference.

Family's Counsel on CBI Impleadment

Advocate Anurag Shrivastava, representing Twisha Sharma's family, explained that the CBI was formally impleaded because it has since taken over the investigation. He confirmed that the agency's name has been added to both the petition filed by the family and the one originally filed by the administration. Arguments continued until 5:20 pm, after which the court reserved its order. 'We anticipate receiving the order shortly, and we remain hopeful that we will succeed in this matter,' Shrivastava said.

The reserved order is expected to determine whether Giribala Singh's anticipatory bail stands, with the CBI's involvement signalling the case has escalated to the highest investigative tier.